Way back when...in the late 70s, early 80s when my mum first talked about
buying me my first car, I had my eye on some really 'exotic' (for Colorado
Springs in the late 70s) metal. I went to look at a used Alfa GTV, a Corvair
Monza Spyder and then I went looking at the dream-mobiles-I went to look at the
Jags (the XJS was dominant in the showroom), the MGs and the Spitfires. So,
even if I couldn't actually buy one, I know the wonderful feeling of walking
into the showroom and looking at the new ones, touching, feeling, smelling,
picking up the brochures and talking to the salesmen...it was great!
My first car? Turned out my stepfather had a stroke and money became tight and
my mum gave me her '70 Caddy Eldorado. Loathsome hulk of a car-but at least she
knew that I was safe in it!
Laura G.
>
>From: "Banbury, Terrence" <Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us>
>Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 12:57:49 -0400
>To: spitfires@autox.team.net, "'Simmons, Reid W'"
> <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>
>Subject: RE: ODs off topic
>
>
>Reid, after reading your post, I wondered what it would be like walking into
>a Triumph showroom and ordering a new Spitfire with the options I wanted.
>Then there is that day when I take that first drive in a brand new Triumph.
>Maybe sometime you could recount a few of your memories for the many who
>have only known their LBCs after a PO.
>Terry Banbury
>
>> ----------
>> From: Simmons, Reid W[SMTP:reid.w.simmons@intel.com]
>> Reply To: Simmons, Reid W
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 11:38 AM
>> To: spitfires@autox.team.net
>> Subject: RE: ODs
>>
>>
>> ODs may be hard to find now but I would hardly call them unreliable. The
>> one in my '79 has not given me even a hint of trouble in 21 years. Prior
>> to
>> the Spitfire I had an MGB with overdrive that never gave me any trouble in
>> the many years I owned it. When I bought my Spitfire I told the dealer
>> that
>> the OD was a "must have" or the deal was off. For highway and interstate
>> driving I wouldn't want to be without it. Not only does it make the
>> engine
>> happier loafing along at a low RPM, but the gas mileage increases
>> significantly when I use the OD at higher speeds.
>>
>> Reid
>> '79 Spitfire (original owner)
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Fred Griffiths [mailto:griffco@mail.cadvision.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 5:59 PM
>> To: spitfires@autox.team.net
>> Subject: Re: So, who wants to sell me a Spitfire OD tranny?
>>
>>
>>
>> With all this talk about hard to find ODs, and their unreliability, why
>> not
>> contemplate fitting a 5 speed transmission?
>>
>> I am sure it haas been done, but what would be a good model to use with
>> the
>> least amount of work?
>>
>> I know, I know, it's not original, but....
>> Cheers, Fred
>>
>> David Moag wrote:
>>
>> > Laura,
>> >
>> > I just wanted to second Dean's opinion of the O/D. When I first got my
>> Spit
>> > it didn't have one, and I'd have to wind it up pretty well to stay up
>> with
>> > traffic. I tried to limit my freeway driving as much as possible (which
>> in
>> > LA, as you know, is not too easily accomplished). Now that one in the
>> car,
>> > it is SO much nicer that I really would NOT want to have one without an
>> O/D.
>> > But again, Nigel's engine is capable of quite a bit more than my stock
>> 77
>> w/
>> > smog controls can give me.
>> >
>> > Dave Moag
>> > 62 TR3B
>> > 77 Spitfire
>> > La Canada, CA
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: owner-spitfires@autox.team.net
>> > [mailto:owner-spitfires@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Dean Dashwood
>> > Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 10:24 AM
>> > To: Laura.G@141.com; spitfires@autox.team.net
>> > Subject: Re: So, who wants to sell me a Spitfire OD tranny?
>> >
>> > Laura,
>> >
>> > Good point about more things to go wrong. In fact, in the time I've had
>> my
>> > car,
>> > the overdrive has gone wrong far more times than anything else. But
>> it's
>> > always
>> > been a simple electrical problem (broken wire, inhibitor switch worn,
>> etc)
>> > which
>> > I've always been able to fix myself, so it's not really bothered me - of
>> > course,
>> > this will vary depending on individual ability.
>> >
>> > Personally, I would think twice about buying a car without overdrive,
>> > especially
>> > as a daily driver - it really is much more pleasant to be able to reduce
>> the
>> > rpms by 1000 or so when cruising along the motorway. To me, having to
>> > remove
>> > the gearbox tunnel every few months to fix a wire is a fair price to pay
>> for
>> > that.
>> >
>> > Of course, Nigel is not your average Spitfire, so he may be able to take
>> the
>> > high RPM much better than my car!
>> >
>> > Dean
>> > ------------
>> >
>> > Date: Tue, May 23 2000 10:21:54 GMT-0600
>> > From: Laura.G@141.com (Laura Gharazeddine)
>> > Subject: Re: Re: So, who wants to sell me a Spitfire OD tranny?
>> >
>> > None of my Spits have had o/d. With Nigel, we've talked about it. Then
>> one
>> > of
>> > the guys from my local Triumph club said he could get me (a used) one at
>> a
>> > good
>> > price. I thought about it. Talked about it with Dave. Talked about it
>> with
>> > the
>> > English guy who works for Dave. In all, I talked to about 5 different
>> people
>> > and
>> > what it came down to is that it's a nice thing to have-but not a
>> necessity
>> > and
>> > more importantly-it'll be just *another thing to break or go wrong*.
>> >
>> > That last bit, coming from individuals I respect and who hadn't confered
>> > with
>> > each other convinced me not to do it.
>> >
>> > This year, at least!
>> >
>> > Laura G.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Fred & Wendy Griffiths,
>> Calgary, Canada
>> <a
>href="http://www.cadvision.com/griffco/index.htm";>http://www.cadvision.com/griffco/index.htm</a>
>> mailto: griffco@cadvision.com
>>
>>
>
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